Valve indicator



March 4, 1952 A. s. voLPlN 2,587,934

VALVE INDICATOR Filed sept. 15, 1947 s sheeis-shem 1 5l 47 53 36 52 s 6 53 5s T rra/YNEV f A. S. VOLFIN VALVE INDICATOR March 4, 1952 Filed Sept. l5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A.S.VOLP|N rrofewfsyf March 4, 1952 A, s VOLPIN VALVE INDICATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 'o' Filed Sept. l5, 1947 INVENTOR. fum 6.02m'

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 1 UNITED STATES PATENT '0F FICE @VALVE INDICATOR `Alexander S. Volpimrllous'tonr, Tex. Appiicannseptember 15, 19in-semina;cuisse (ci. 11s-125) 2 Claims.'

This invention relates Vto* rotatableA stem valves and more particularly to"rot atable stem valves havingindicators associated with the externally extending portion offthe `stems to visually indicatefwhether 'the valves are closed or opened, or the degree of lopening thereof.

j An' 'object of .the invention is to provide "a rotatable stem valve which has an `indicator associate'd Ywith "the externally extending portion of thestemiwhich indicator when viewed, will visually indicate whether the valve is closedV or openedyor the vdegree of opening thereof.

` A further object of this invention'is to provide an'indicator coil'adapted to'be connected at one endwith the externally extending portion of the stem` of a rotatable stem valve, and 'adapted to beheldzat Vthe other end in astatiOnary position, so-that thelnumber of un-coiled spring convolutions andthe radially measured Ydistance betweenconvolutions, will' visually indicatewhether f the vvalve is closed or`open,'or they degree of opening thereof.

" The following 4disclosure shows the indicator contemplated by this invention adapted toa nonrising, rotatable'stemrgate valve, but it 'is obvious that the invention is adapted for use with nonrising, rotatable stern plug valves, and with practi'cally all conceivableA .types of 'rotatable "stem valves which are so designed that no threaded lengths of valve stem, 'nor other indicia, are increasingly `or decreasingly exposed as the valve isopened orclosed. 'The indicator is also adaptfable .to rotatable stem valves in general.

Other and further objects of the invention are readily apparent when the following` 'description is considered-in connection with the' accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is asectional lelevation'wherein the indicater indicates agate valve in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation wherein th indicator indicates a gate valve inopen' position; Fig. 3 is a plan View wherein the indicator indic'ates a valve to rbe in closed position;l Fig 4 is 'a plan view wherein the indicator indicates a valve'to bein open position.

I 'Similar characters of reference? are used'` to indicate similar parts throughout the" several views.

' The'valve has a valve body assembly A which includes the Tsection l, and which Aalso includes abonnet comprising a lower bonnet 2, an upper bonnetr 3,"and-a glandnut 4. 'The relationship betweenthesev elements will Abe described'herein withreference to the disclosures of Figs. 1-k and 2g wherein 'the "Tk-section `constitutes the :lowermost .diameter thanhole 23.

element of the assembly, and `in which the `"other elements extendvertically upward therefrom.

Thei12-sectionv Icomprise's `a cross-arm 5'1havingy al substantiallyl cylindrical hole `or bore 6 therethrough, and allflegfse'ction l which 'also ,has

aafsu'bstantially cylindrical `hole. 8 therethrough. 'l'heffinnersurfaceof the cross-arm 5, at thejunctionvofbores `il and l8, isfformed to provide `two annular surfaces 9 Awhich' lie in 4'planes extending upwardly and outwardly at equal oblique angles to the axis ofi'cro'ss-arm 5, and this inner surface also'provide's itwoann'ular surfaces lf'formed in thebore 16 ofthe 4crcJss-armli which surfaces i0 intersect, and are perpendicular to the; surfaces 9:* `TwoI valve seats I'I, ofA more durable material than the T-section -I,` are fitted within the cross arm 5,'tlhese valveseats havingfilange sections I2 desgnedftotthe-annular'surfaces 9, and 'rim sections 'I3y designed to be pressed snugly inside o'f,"andfa'gainst surfaces I0. The-leg l of the T- section has provided at-the upper end thereof an annular flange ldrwhich'has threa'ded'holes |-5i`therein radially spaced from'the axis of the leg'fsection.

" 'I'helower bonnet 2 has acored hole I5 in the lowerpart Vthereof `of thesame diameter as the ybore "8 intheleg 1, and the `lowerpart of the lowenbonnetfformslan 'annular flange H ofthe same diametersas-flange' I4 of `leg l. This flange hasdl'lled hls f8 thelel'rl aligned with drilled holes'lSinflangeM; so that the flower bonnet and TL-section `canbefrigifdly connected'by means of bolts I8. The lowe'rbonnet also has an upper dange" 20 Vof'-sulistantial thickness whichl has tappedY and(A threaded* holes 2l therein 'radially spacedfrorn-the axislthereof. The uppeillange Z'Ufhas r formed ltherein, extending Vuinz'vardlyr axi'allyfronrtheinnersurface thereof, rst a hole 23.and ,then a counterbored' hole 24 of -a larger `The upperV 'bonnet'has al ange 25 of the same "diamoter;V as upperflange` 20 of the lowerbonnet 2. This ange has drilledholes `26 therein aligned withthreacled holes 2l of upper.- flange 2l!V of llovverfborinet` 2 so thatthefupper bonnet 3 'can/befrigidly connected tothe lower bonnet! by' `'means of capscrews,21."Theupper bonnet has jan exteriorly threaded shank 28, and the bonnet is 'axiallybored to two diameters, a large counterborez extending through `the shank section toterminate inasmaller bore 3D in flange 25.

Thev gland "nut 4- comprises an `internally threaded sectlonLS l1 of dimensions' to: receive the threadedshankrZS of the'upperbonnet `3, andan niiwal'l-I'Zyhivlng afilatv-top 33 withzradially spaced tapped holes 55 therein, an inner surface 34 of conical contour. and a centrally bored hole 46.

Parts working inside the valve body assembly comprise a gate 35, stem 36, packing ring 31,

. and gland 38.

The gate 35 has lbeveled side walls 39 designed to iit valve seat flanges l2, a cored opening 22 between the walls 39, and a threaded end 49. The stem'3'6 has a threaded section 4l, an unthreaded length 42 of the same diameter as threaded secspindle 44 and outer diameter to t within counterbore 29. The head 49 of the gland .36 is of conical contour to be fitted within the inner surfac'e34 of gland nut 38.

The indicator assembly, cage, or housing 41 has a drum or cage member 48 comprising a bottom disk 49 and va'rim 56 integral therewith. and a top disk'5l of a diameter to iit snugly within` the rim U. The rim 50 has two` vertical slots 63 and 62 therein in closely spaced relationship. Bothbottom disk 49 and top disk5| have therein a. plurality of fan-shaped, radially spaced openings or perforations 52, of substantial fsize, and they also have holes 53' centrally thereof. Bottom disk 49 also has therein a plurality of radially spaced drilled and counter sunk ho1es;'54 inwardly of the fan-shaped openings 52. As an indicator, la ilat pre-coiled spring 58, of slightly less width than the height of rim 5|) is provided, having a'hole 59 near the inner end thereof. With top disk v5| removed, the Aspring can Vbe placed in the drum or cage member 48, and firmly aixed therein by passing the outer end of the coiled spring 58 out through the slot 63 4and bending it back in through the slot 62.v

Iii-.assembly the gate 35 is seatedin valve seats Il, lower bonnet 2 is bolted to T-section Ldand the threaded section 4I of stem 36 is inserted through the hole 23 in the lower bonnetand is screwed into gate 35 the full length of the threaded end 40, thus bringing collar 43 tor seat in counterbore 24. The upper bonnet3 is then assembled to lower bonnet 2, packingring 31 and then gland 38 are slid down around spindle` 44 and inside counterblore 29 of the upper bonnet, andnnally gland nut 4 is tted over spindle 44 so that the spindle passes through central bore 46 thereof. The gland nut is then screwed down `threaded shank 29 untilinner surface 34 over contacts gland 38, and the gland nut is, then screwed down still further to tighten the packing around the spindle 44.

' The indicator .assembly is then rigidly -'nrqed onto the valve body by passing spindle 44 of valve stem 36upwardly through hole 53 in bottom disk 49, and through the center of coiled spring 59, so that the bottom disk 49 rests on the flat top 33 of the gland nut 4, and may be affixed thereto by means of screws 56. The coiled spring '58 is then spread sufficiently to permit the inner end thereof to be xed to spindle 44 bypassing a screw 69 through hole 59 and screwing it into tapped hole 51 in spindle` 44. 1 Ihe topdisk is then put on, with spindle 44 passingrupwardly through hole l53 therein, and is pushed down so that it fits within rim 50 and over coiled spring 58, and is vrotated to align fan-shaped openings 52 therein with the fan-shaped opening 52 of bottom disk 49. Finally a hand-wheel 6l is fitted over and rigidly aiiixed to the end of spindle 44 in any conventional manner.

In operation, as the hand-wheel 6| is turned to open the valve,V the rotation of the threaded section 4I of stem 36 in the threads of gate end causes the gate to move upwardly along threaded section 4I, thereby decreasing the obstruction of bore 6 and increasing the degree of opening thereof, so that when the gate has moved up to the point where the gate end 40 is stopped against the inner side of lower bonnet iiange l1.

the bore 6 is completely opened.

. ...As the valve stem 36 is rotated to open the valve, the coiled spring 58, fixed to the spindle 44 .at the inner end, and to the rim 56 of the drum 48 at the outer end,.is forced to uncoil against its pre-coiled state, and each revolution of the valve stem opens the coil one convolution. With the spring thus restrained at either end, it is obvious that-.whether a single` convolution or several convolutions have beenuncoiled, they add up in extendingr from the rim periphery to the uncoiled body of the spring with the result that the distance between successive convolutions is greater when there are few uncoiled convolutionsand lesser when there are many. It also occurs that, as more and more convolutions are uncoiled, they tend to extend over the whole surface of the drum. It is consequently ap'- parentV that a fully opened valve is indicated by a plurality'of uncoiled convolutions with a relatively short radially measured distance between successive .cnvolutions being visible through openings '52, as is shown in Fig. 4, and that a closed valve is indicated by only one partially uncoiled convolution being visible through the openings 5,2.' as is .shown in Fig. 3. Y As the openings 52 are in both top disk 5I and bottom disk 49, the spring 58 is visible therethrough in either coiled or uncoiled state,ror in all intermediate stages of uncoiling thereinbetween. The openings 52 are of sufiicient number and are of suicientV size so that the visibility of theV spring is not overly shrouded by the spokes 63 of handwheel 6l, and consequently the indicator spring 58 is visible when the valve is viewed from above the hand-wheel. Also, when the valve is in,

stalled ina pipe line with stem axis extending at almost any angle to the horizontal or vertical,

the spring may be seen through the openings in the top or bottom disk by an observer stand ing almost anywhere inror near a planeV passing through the valve stem axis perpendicular to the T-section axis. l

The inventionV as herein illustratedV and del scribed is manifestly subject to many changes in construction and arrangement of parts which will remain within the 'scope and purpose of the stated objects and vappended claims.

What is claimed is: Y

1. An indicating device comprising a perforated housing adapted for rigid connection to the exterior of the bonnet vof a valve body throigh which bonnet the'valve stem passes. anda substantially iiat, coiled spring in said housing and visible through the perforations `and adapted for rigid association at its outer end with said housing, and with its inner end adapted to vbe xd to the valve stemt so that the valve 'stem rotation which actuates the valveelement to open'and close the valve also varies the number of .uncoiled spring lconvoluticnsand the .perceptible distances between` said-convolutions to indicate the degree of valve opening or closure.

2. An indicator device for a valve having a. REFERENCES CITED body and having a rotatable stem operably engaged to a Valve element Within the body said The following references are of record in the stem extending through said body, said device me 0f this Patent: including an elongated flexible member having 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS at least two ends, means externally of said body for holding one end stationary with relation to Nuggezm Wgame Auatelgg said body, the other end being attached to said 701155 converge May'zf 1902 stem whereby the rotation of said stem Operates 728236 Parkr Y May 19 1903 said valve element and coils and uncoils a sub- 10 1 994336 Dawson "Mar 12' 1935 stantial length of said exible member about said 2140934 Dopp Dea' 20 1938 stem to visually indicate the open or closed position of said valve.

ALEXANDER S. VOLPIN. 

